


Cranberries and Popcorn

by madamehomesecretary



Category: Bodyguard (TV 2018)
Genre: And the Budds are not helping, Christmas Decorations, Christmas Fluff, F/M, Julia's Holiday OCD is real
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-20
Updated: 2019-12-20
Packaged: 2021-02-26 03:01:09
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,848
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21866392
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/madamehomesecretary/pseuds/madamehomesecretary
Summary: “It’s driving you crazy to not make sure every one of those is in the perfect spot, isn’t it?” He whispered and Julia looked up at him bashfully.“Am I that obvious?” She asked after a minute and David laughed.“Not to them,” he replied. “But I do like to think I do know you.”David and Julia attempt to decorate a Christmas tree together (with the kids).
Relationships: David Budd/Julia Montague
Comments: 8
Kudos: 68





	Cranberries and Popcorn

**Author's Note:**

  * For [myfirstbadhabit](https://archiveofourown.org/users/myfirstbadhabit/gifts).



> Ro mentioned this idea in passing, and it just wouldn't leave me alone. So, this one goes out to her. Love you, RO RO RO! David and Julia decorate for Christmas. I can't exactly say it goes well ... but it gets done. 
> 
> This is not directly tied to the lavenderbudd fic exchange, but it is some good, extra fluffy Christmas fluff. So. If you're into that (who isn't?), then I hope you enjoy it!

“David, there’s a science to it. You can’t just put the lights wherever you want them to be,” Julia chided, taking a step back to survey the scene in front of her, her arms crossed over her chest. 

She heard David huff under his breath and mutter something indistinguishable. She narrowed her eyes. 

“What was that, darling?” She asked, arching a brow as she stared at his backside as he reached further into the tree to rearrange the string of lights that she had pointed out to him that seemed out of place. 

“Nothing!” He called back, his voice muffled from somewhere within the tree. “I said nothing!”

His ire was met with the sound of little giggles coming from across the room as Ella and Charlie sat in front of the fireplace, watching their Dad and Julia with amusement. 

“She’s right, you know,” Ella said, looking up from the bowl of popcorn she had in front of her. Julia had given them the important job of threading the popcorn and cranberries onto string, a new concept neither of them had heard of before. Julia had shared with them how she had done it ever since she was a child during the holidays. Threading the garland with her father was still one of her favorite memories of Christmases past. 

Even now, decades later, with her favorite Lindsey Sterling Christmas album playing on the telly and surrounded by her little family, she still felt the thrill of preparing for the holidays. In fact, she could think of fewer things she loved more than Christmas. Especially now. 

“You can’t just stick the lights on there, Daddy. There’s a specific way to do it,” Ella finished matter-of-factly, grinning up at Julia as David turned to give them both a dirty look. 

David looked over at Charlie for reassurance. 

“They’re ganging up on me, Charlie! Help me out. The lights weren’t  _ that _ bad, were they?” David asked dramatically, sending Ella and Charlie into another fit of giggles. 

“I’m not saying anything!” Charlie protested, mimicking a zipping motion over his mouth. Julia smirked. 

“I think that means I win by default,” she said, chuckling as he turned to face her, a brow raised. 

“We’ll see who has the last laugh…” his eyes moved to the children, who had turned their attention back to the long string in front of them, making sure to alternate the popcorn and cranberries. “I’ll get you back later,” he said lowly, his eyes darkening and Julia cleared her throat, biting her bottom lip as she looked away. 

“Okay, Charlie Bear, Ella Bella, let’s tie up the end of that string and see how it looks on the tree, huh?” she said with a smile, kneeling next to the kids as David watched the three of them proudly. . 

Taking the string from Ella and Charlie, she turned, handing it to David with a smile. 

“Tuck that in near the top, will you?” She asked, holding out the loop of the string. 

“Mmm,” he said, thoughtful for a minute. “That’ll cost you,” he said seriously and Julia glanced at him curiously. “David, the children…” she said, her gaze sliding over to Ella and Charlie who had started busying themselves going through the boxes of ornaments in the corner.

“Fine,” he said with a heavy sigh. “I’ll keep it appropriate then… To hang this on the top branch will cost you … one kiss.” His grin was smug as Julia’s face broke out into a smile and began to giggle. 

“I think I can afford that, Mr. Budd,” she said, taking a step closer to him. Leaning forward, she placed her arms around his neck as their lips met softly, her fingers coming to rest in the short hair at the nape of his neck. 

“Ew! That’s gross!” Charlie cried out as he turned to look at David and Julia and the two broke apart, resting their foreheads against each other as they chuckled. 

Ella sighed. 

“Charlie, they’re married,” Ella explained, shaking her head. “That’s what married people do.”

“Well, I’m never getting married,” Charlie said matter-of-factly as he returned his attention to the box. “I don’t want to  _ ever _ kiss a girl,” he said under his breath, making a face. 

Ella rolled her eyes in response. 

“It’s romantic, Charlie,” she said, clearly exasperated at her younger brother. 

“You don’t have to get married, Charlie,” Julia said reassuringly. “Only if you want to.”

Charlie turned to look at them again. 

“So, you  _ wanted _ to marry my Dad?” He asked and David let out a short bark of laughter as he looped the thread around the top branch of the tree. Julia hid her giggle behind her hand. 

“Aye! What does  _ that _ mean, Charlie?!” He asked, pretending to be offended and the little boy smirked, saying nothing.

“Yes, I  _ wanted _ to marry your Dad,” Julia continued, moving around David to wrap the garland around the tree. “I love him very much. I was thrilled when he asked me,” she said, her eyes meeting David’s from the other side of the tree. 

“Is that why you guys got married at the deed office?” Ella asked thoughtfully. Julia smiled at the girl’s line of questioning. She remembered being Ella’s age and being in love with the idea of being in love. Back when it all seemed so easy. She looked to David, nodding her head slightly as she finished tucking the end of the garland into the bottom of the tree. 

“We didn’t want to wait, El,” David said with a smile, reaching over and taking Julia’s hand in his, kissing her knuckle. He ignored Charlie as he made a face. “Plus, we wanted to replace a bad memory with a good one. But I’ll be honest, I knew I wanted to marry Julia a long time ago,” David said. 

“From the first time you met me, right?” Julia teased and David scoffed. 

“I wouldn’t go  _ that _ far,” he teased in return. 

“You should hang this ornament first!” Ella cried out, running over to Julia with a crystal ornament with the words “Newlyweds” etched onto it. David and Julia’s names had been engraved on the ornament with the date 4 November 2019 below it. 

The month and a half since their marriage had flown by in a flurry of excitement as the holidays snuck up on David and Julia in their new home. Weekends were filled will unpacking boxes and living in their ‘honeymoon phase.’ 

Taking the ornament gently from Ella, Julia smiled. 

“That’s a great idea, Ella,” she said, kissing the girl on the top of the head and turning to David. “Hang it with me?” she asked and David grinned in response. 

“Aye.” Moving to stand behind her, he wrapped his arms around her waist as she hung the ornament front and center. 

“Beautiful,” David said softly, his gaze still on Julia, who blushed under his scrutiny. Leaning forward, he placed a gentle kiss on her lips as she leaned back into his embrace. 

“Can we hang ornaments now, guys?” Charlie whined and Ella shot her brother a look of clear disdain, but said nothing. 

“I think that’s a great idea,” David said, squeezing Julia one last time before pulling away from her and going over to the box where Charlie had “organized” ornaments. David didn’t have the heart to point out to him that he had only just moved things around without much of a rhyme or reason. It was the same jumble of ornaments it had been the half hour before. 

“We have to put the Christmas balls on first, David!” Julia reminded him and David looked up at her frowning. “I’ve never had this much organization in decorating a tree before,” he said laughing. “Christmas is only seven days away, Julia. The tree should have been up a week ago anyway!” 

“Well, we’ve been a little … busy, haven’t we? Not complaining, are you?” Julia asked with a smirk and David chuckled, his hand coming to rub at the back of his neck as he felt it flush pink. 

“Okay, Charlie and Ella, you heard Julia,” he instructed, moving over to the box of burgundy and gold ornaments. “Put the Christmas balls on the tree and we’ll go from there.”

Moving to Julia’s side in the doorway, he watched as the children began to hang the ornaments in excitement. Wrapping Julia in his arms, he held her against his chest as she relaxed into his embrace. 

“It’s driving you crazy to not make sure every one of those is in the perfect spot, isn’t it?” He whispered and Julia looked up at him bashfully. 

“Am I  _ that _ obvious?” She asked after a minute and David laughed. 

“Not to them,” he replied. “But I do like to think I do  _ know _ you.” 

Leaning her head against his shoulder, she gave him a knowing look. 

“I grew up with everything being so pristine and so regimented,” she explained, turning in his arms. “Everything always had to be done the ‘correct’ way. I don’t think I ever realized how much that had really rubbed off on me…”

“Until the Budds came into your life?” David asked gently, tucking a stray curl behind her ear. 

“The best thing that ever happened to me,” she said truthfully, her admission honest and vulnerable as it lay between them for a moment. 

“My Christmas tree, though? Not so much,” she added with a laugh as David rolled his eyes a little at her exaggeration. 

“Julia, you’re the Prime Minister. You can decorate your Christmas tree however you like.”

They both laughed then, and Julia shook her head. 

“I never imagined this would be my life,” she admitted, turning to watch Ella and Charlie as they moved on to the other ornament box, placing homemade ornaments and silly trinkets haphazardly on the tree. She wrinkled her nose. 

“And would you change any of it, if given the chance?” He asked thoughtfully.

“Not a single thing,” she said, pulling her phone out of her pocket and taking a picture of Ella and Charlie chatting excitedly in front of the tree at Number 10 Downing Street. This Christmas was certainly going to be one to remember. 

David nudged her in the side as she placed her phone in the pocket of her jeans and she turned to look at him. Nodding his head upward, her gaze followed him and she grinned as she spotted the mistletoe David had hung at some point earlier in the day. 

Leaning forward, she pressed her lips against his, her hands coming to tangle in his curls as she felt his arms wrap around her waist. From somewhere behind them, Julia heard a disgusted “There they go again” from Charlie and what distinctly sounded like Ella hitting her brother in the stomach. 

“Merry Christmas, Mr. Budd.” She whispered against his lips, pecking them again. “I love you.”

“And I love you, Prime Minister Montague-Budd,” he said, the warm smile suddenly breaking out on his lips seemed rather contagious as Julia smiled in return.  “Happy Christmas, love.”


End file.
